Expansion tank



Jan. 12, 1965 A. F. PAUL EXPANSION TANK Filed Sept. 12. 1962 JV Y IN V EN TOR.

ALBERT F. PAUL AT TORNEY EXPANSION TANK Albert F. Paul, Kingston, R.I., assignor to General Fittings Company, a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Sept. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 223,963

. 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-85) This invention relates to an expansion tank such as is used in a hot water system and is of the type in which an air cushion is separated from the water of the system so as to prevent absorption of the air cushion by the water.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an expansion tank which will have a diaphragm which may be quickly and inexpensively inserted into the tank and held therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple means and method of clamping the diaphragm in the tank as the tank is assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide an easily formed split ring which may be expanded into diaphragm holding position and so formed that it will be held in its expanded position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the tank connected in a hot water system;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the tank showing the various parts thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view on a larger scale showing the ends of the ring and looking at the opposite sides thereof from that shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmental sectional view of the parts as shown in FIG. 3 looking at the top of the ring before the ring is expanded;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the ring in expanded position; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a device for expanding the ring.

In the use of expansion tanks it has been desirable to utilize air to cushion the water and permit of some expansion and a corresponding compression of the air in the tank. As the air dissolves in the water, attempts have been made to separate the air from the water, and in doing so a diaphragm has been positioned across the tank so that the water of the system may enter a part of this tank, and air under pressure will be on the other side of the diaphragm and in the other part of the tank so as to act as a cushion, thus providing an arrangement so that the water may expand as the temperature of the water which is in the system rises or as the volume of the Water of the system changes. Accordingly, in proceeding with this invention, I have provided a tank in two halves with a diaphragm which may be fastened in one of thcsehalves before the two halves are assembled,

and I have outwardly rolled a groove in the half in which the diaphragm is to be secured and provided an outwardly United States Patent 0 "ice phragm in position and is itself held in position without any other securing means.

With reference to the drawings, 10 and 11 designate parts of a flow line of a water system in which there is an air bleeder construction designated'generally 12 having an air valve 13 at its upper end while infithe lower portion of this air bleeder there is a conduit 14 to the expansion tank designated generally 15 which is the subject of this invention.

This air tank 15 comprises an upper section 16 and a lower section 17 with a diaphragm 18 to be held in the section 16 and a split ring 19 for holding this diaphragm in position.

The upper section 16 has a side wall 29 and an end wall 21, being somewhat of a dome-like construction. The side wall 20 has a groove 22 which is outwardly rolled into the side wall at a point spaced from its edge 23. This groove is rolled into the side wall prior to the assembly of the diaphragm in position.

The diaphragm 18 is of a shape to provide a side wall 24 and an end wall 25 and is of rubber or some synthetic rubber material which will be compressible and flexible. A rib 26 is formed on the outer surface of the wall 24 of the diaphragm and of a size so that it will enter and closely fit the groove 22 in the side wall 20.

In order to hold this diaphragm in position, the ring 19 is employed which will be of a rather stilt springy metal which will have a generally circular shank 27 with end portions 28 and 29, these ends being beveled as at 39 and 31 (see FIG. 4) so that one will overlap the other such as seen in FIG. 5. The diaphragm is positioned in the section 16 with its rib'2r5 in the groove 22, and this ring is at the location 32 engaging the inner surface of the diaphragm opposite the rib 26. The ring is then expanded by an expander 45 having segments 46 engaging the inner surface of the ring to force it outwardly. The ring is of such a size that when it is expanded, which it may be by reason of compression of the stock of the diaphragm sufiiciently so that its ends may be snapped from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 5, these ends 30 and 31 will contract and abut when pressure is released so that when the ends do abut, they will hold the rib under compression in the groove 22 and lock the diaphragm assembled in the section 16.

In order to prevent lateral motion of the ring ends and so as to maintain the ends 30 and 31 in engagement after expanded to this position, I provide a channel member designated generally 33 which comprises a back wall 34 with flanges 35 and 36 which flanges will engage the opposite edges of the end portions 28 and 2d of the ring and prevent relative lateral movement of the ring ends. This channel is welded as at 36' to one of the end portions such as 28 so as to remain firmly fixed thereto, while the other end portion 29 of the ring will be loose within this channel but when snapped from the position shown in FIG. 4 into the position shown in FIG. 5, the ring ends will have to remain in this position. Thus when .the ring is expanded into position and forces the diawith, the ring itself willbe held in position, and all parts extending rib in this diaphragm which will enter this groove, and I provide a ring which is split and provided with a means so that when the split ends are in abutting relation, the ring will be of such a size as to force the rib of the diaphragm into the groove and secure it under compression firmly in the half of the tank. The construction of the ring is such that when expanded into this position to place the diaphragm under compression, it will lock itself in this position against contraction. Thus the ring when forced into position holds the diation. tank may be outwardly rolled as at 40 so as to provide symmetry to the device.

will be locked against displacement.

After the ring is thus expanded by some expanding tool, the other section 17 of the tank may be assembled by reason of its telescoping enlargement 38 over the portion 39 of the top of the tank and there welded in posi- For matching purposes the lower section of the A valve for inserting a gas into the lower part of the tank may be provided at 41.

I claim:

An expansion tank comprising a hollow body member t {b t having side and end walls,'the inner surface of said side Wall having an outwardly extending peripheral groove, a

7 its innersurface in the area of said riband of a size to compress the rib'area ,of the diaphragm and press the rib outwardly against the wall of said groove, said compressed diaphragm forcing the ends of the split ring to abut, said split ring having overlapped beveled ends, and r a channel member having opposite side walls located along the inner surface of said ring receiving said beveled o a 4 K ends with the opposite side w-alls'of the channel member along the edges ofthe ring facing 'theend'walls of the tank so as to prevent relative movement of the ring ends axially of the tank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Jan. 21, 1960 

